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August 9, 2020

The Ford Bronco Could Come to the Philippines in 2023


In the next episode of, “will they or won’t they,” Ford seems to have changed their mind with regards to export plans surrounding its much-anticipated Bronco SUV.

Originally, the carmaker said that its Jeep Wrangler fighter won’t be sold in markets where there’s tough emissions regulations such as Europe. Automakers there have to keep their tailpipe emissions down to just 95 g/km this year or face fines. Even the 1.5-liter engine in the smaller Ford Escape-based Bronco Sport crosses this threshold; much more with the ladder-on-frame Bronco’s 2.3 and 2.7-liter V6 engines.

Ford has gone so far as to say the decision was partly influenced by Suzuki and their decision to kill off the Jimny for Europe. The Japanese automaker had a hit when it launched the Jimny there in 2018, but that came with the cost of soaring emissions. Last year Suzuki’s average rose 6.3g/km to 120.6g/km. The carmaker reacted by pulling the Jimny out in some European markets to keep their emissions down.

Going back to the Bronco, its fate for international markets hasn’t been sealed yet. In a Car and Driver article, it seems Ford is still busy trying to make the new Bronco meet international homologation standards.

Per Car and Driver, Paul Wraith, head designer for the Bronco project says Ford has actually devised two versions of the Bronco badge due to prevailing pedestrian impact rules. For export markets, the SUV will carry a flatter, rounder badge with different detailing around the mane and hooves.

Wraith and his team’s work could be in anticipation of an electrified Bronco which is expected to join the herd in the near future; this could be the one destined for Europe. For markets though with more relaxed emissions such as China and Asia, including the SUV-crazy (and left-hand drive) Philippines, this piece of news now increases the likelihood of seeing Ford’s Go Over Any Terrain vehicle on local streets. U.S. customer deliveries begin later in the year, so assuming the export version gets fast tracked, the wait will likely be a full 18 to 24 months.

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